1
|
Masui M, Yamamoto PK, Kono N. Allorecognition behaviors in Myxomycetes respond to intraspecies factors. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060358. [PMID: 38912557 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Myxomycetes are multinucleate unicellular organisms. They form a Plasmodium that moves by protoplasmic flow and prey on microorganisms. When encountering intraspecifics, the plasmodium has the capacity for 'fusion', actively approaching and fusing its cells, or 'avoidance', altering its direction to avoid the other individual. This is an allorecognition ability. However, it remains unclear whether the range of allorecognition extends to other species, and its ecological significance is also obscure. Here, we conducted a quantitative evaluation of contact responses from closely related species of plasmodium to clarify the range of allorecognition behaviors in Myxomycetes. Behavioral assays demonstrated that allorecognition behaviors are specifically observed within individuals of the same species, indicating that these behaviors are a phenomenon unique to intraspecies interactions. Myxomycetes allorecognition is an extremely narrow and inward-focused behavior, suggesting a highly specialized mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mana Masui
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0017, Japan
| | - Phillip K Yamamoto
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0017, Japan
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Kono
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0017, Japan
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Li S, Qi B, Peng X, Wang W, Wang W, Liu P, Liu B, Peng Z, Wang Q, Li Y. Genome size and GC content of myxomycetes. Eur J Protistol 2023; 90:125991. [PMID: 37331249 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2023.125991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
More than 1272 myxomycetes species have been described, accounting for more than half of all Amoebozoa species. However, the genome size of only three myxomycetes species has been reported. Therefore, we used flow cytometry to present an extensive survey and a phylogeny-based analysis of genome size and GC content evolution in 144 myxomycetes species. The genome size of myxomycetes ranged from 18.7 Mb to 470.3 Mb, and the GC content ranged from 38.7% to 70.1%. Bright-spored clade showed larger genome sizes and more intra-order genome size variations than the dark-spored clade. GC content and genome size were positively correlated in both bright-spored and dark-spored clades, and spore size was positively correlated with genome size and GC content in the bright-spored clade. We provided the first genome size data set in Myxomycetes, and our results will provide helpful information for future Myxomycetes studies, such as genome sequencing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu Li
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Bao Qi
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Xueyan Peng
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Wan Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Pu Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Bao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Zhanwu Peng
- Information Center, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China.
| | - Yu Li
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
García-Martín J, Zamora J, Lado C. Multigene phylogeny of the order Physarales ( Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa): shedding light on the dark-spored clade. PERSOONIA 2023; 51:89-124. [PMID: 38665983 PMCID: PMC11041899 DOI: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The class Myxomycetes consists of free-living protists characterised by their complex life cycle, which includes both microscopic (amoebae, flagellates and cists) and macroscopic stages (spore-bearing fruiting bodies, sclerotia, and plasmodia). Within it, the order Physarales, with more than 450 recognised species, constitutes the largest group. Although previous studies have shown the polyphyly of some of the traditionally accepted genera, its internal phylogenetic relationships have remained uncertain so far, and together with the lack of data for some key species, it prevented any taxonomic and nomenclatural revisions. We have compiled a substantially expanded dataset in terms of both taxon sampling and molecular data, including most of the genera described to date and four unlinked DNA regions, for which we provide partial sequences: nSSU, EF-1α, α-Tub, and mtSSU, analysed through maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. Our results confirm that the family Didymiaceae is paraphyletic to the rest of Physarales. Within Didymiaceae s.lat., the recent reinstatement of the genus Polyschismium for most species traditionally ascribed to Lepidoderma, except for the type (Ronikier et al. 2022), is further supported here, as well as the definite inclusion of the genus Mucilago in Didymium and Lepidoderma s.str. (L. tigrinum) in Diderma (Prikhodko et al. 2023). Additionally, the genus Diachea is redefined to include some species previously treated in Physaraceae (Craterium spp. with true columella). Within the monophyletic family Physaraceae, most genera are recovered as polyphyletic, suggesting that they should be no longer accepted as currently defined. However, the lack of resolution of some relationships within Physaraceae prevents us from resuscitating or creating several new genera to mitigate polyphyly. Among the well-defined groups with clear molecular signatures, we propose two taxonomic and nomenclatural changes at generic level: 1) a new genus, Nannengaella, is proposed for a major clade containing Physarum globuliferum and other species with heavily calcified sporophores and, often, a true calcareous columella; 2) Lignydium is resurrected for the clade containing Fuligo muscorum. Additionally, Trichamphora is suggested as the correct name for the clade containing Physarum pezizoideum. The taxonomy and nomenclature of some provisional genera, currently synonymous with Fuligo and Physarum, are disentangled, and we provide a comprehensive and updated nomenclatural conspectus that can be used when better resolved phylogenies are obtained. In total, 22 new combinations are proposed in different genera. A provisional key to the genera of the order is also provided. Citation: García-Martín JM, Zamora JC, Lado C. 2023. Multigene phylogeny of the order Physarales (Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa): shedding light on the dark-spored clade. Persoonia 51: 89-124. doi: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.02.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J.M. García-Martín
- Department of Mycology, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain
| | - J.C. Zamora
- Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
- Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, Chem. de l’Impératrice 1, 1292 Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland
| | - C. Lado
- Department of Mycology, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Woyzichovski J, Shchepin O, Dagamac NH, Schnittler M. A workflow for low-cost automated image analysis of myxomycete spore numbers, size and shape. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12471. [PMID: 34820196 PMCID: PMC8605758 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring spore size is a standard method for the description of fungal taxa, but in manual microscopic analyses the number of spores that can be measured and information on their morphological traits are typically limited. To overcome this weakness we present a method to analyze the size and shape of large numbers of spherical bodies, such as spores or pollen, by using inexpensive equipment. A spore suspension mounted on a slide is treated with a low-cost, high-vibration device to distribute spores uniformly in a single layer without overlap. Subsequently, 10,000 to 50,000 objects per slide are measured by automated image analysis. The workflow involves (1) slide preparation, (2) automated image acquisition by light microscopy, (3) filtering to separate high-density clusters, (4) image segmentation by applying a machine learning software, Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis (WEKA), and (5) statistical evaluation of the results. The technique produced consistent results and compared favorably with manual measurements in terms of precision. Moreover, measuring spore size distribution yields information not obtained by manual microscopic analyses, as shown for the myxomycete Physarum albescens. The exact size distribution of spores revealed irregularities in spore formation resulting from the influence of environmental conditions on spore maturation. A comparison of the spore size distribution within and between sporocarp colonies showed large environmental and likely genetic variation. In addition, the comparison identified specimens with spores roughly twice the normal size. The successful implementation of the presented method for analyzing myxomycete spores also suggests potential for other applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Woyzichovski
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany
| | - Oleg Shchepin
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany.,Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nikki Heherson Dagamac
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences and Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Martin Schnittler
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Shchepin O, Novozhilov Y, Woyzichovski J, Bog M, Prikhodko I, Fedorova N, Gmoshinskiy V, Borg Dahl M, Dagamac NHA, Yajima Y, Schnittler M. Genetic structure of the protist Physarum albescens (Amoebozoa) revealed by multiple markers and genotyping by sequencing. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:372-390. [PMID: 34676941 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Myxomycetes are terrestrial protists with many presumably cosmopolitan species dispersing via airborne spores. A truly cosmopolitan species would suffer from outbreeding depression hampering local adaptation, while locally adapted species with limited distribution would be at a higher risk of extinction in changing environments. Here, we investigate intraspecific genetic diversity and phylogeography of Physarum albescens over the entire Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced 324 field collections of fruit bodies for 1-3 genetic markers (SSU, EF1A, COI) and analysed 98 specimens with genotyping by sequencing. The structure of the three-gene phylogeny, SNP-based phylogeny, phylogenetic networks, and the observed recombination pattern of three independently inherited gene markers can be best explained by the presence of at least 18 reproductively isolated groups, which can be seen as cryptic species. In all intensively sampled regions and in many localities, members of several phylogroups coexisted. Some phylogroups were found to be abundant in only one region and completely absent in other well-studied regions, and thus may represent regional endemics. Our results demonstrate that the widely distributed myxomycete species Ph. albescens represents a complex of at least 18 cryptic species, and some of these seem to have a limited geographical distribution. In addition, the presence of groups of presumably clonal specimens suggests that sexual and asexual reproduction coexist in natural populations of myxomycetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Shchepin
- Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.,General Botany and Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Yuri Novozhilov
- Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jan Woyzichovski
- General Botany and Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Manuela Bog
- General Botany and Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ilya Prikhodko
- Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nadezhda Fedorova
- Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir Gmoshinskiy
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Polistovsky National Nature Reserve, Pskov Region, Russia
| | - Mathilde Borg Dahl
- General Botany and Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nikki H A Dagamac
- General Botany and Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences and Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Yuka Yajima
- Muroran Institute of Technology, Muroran, Japan
| | - Martin Schnittler
- General Botany and Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li M, Wang G, Gao Y, Dou M, Wang Z, Yan S, Chen S. Distribution and diversity of myxomycetes in Tiantangzhai National Forest Park, China. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12059. [PMID: 34527444 PMCID: PMC8401731 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although myxomycetes are ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems, studies on their distribution and diversity in subtropical humid forests are still lacking. Field collections and moist chamber cultures were conducted from May to October within a two-year period in the Tiantangzhai National Forest Park of China. A total of 1,492 records representing 73 species belonging to 26 genera were obtained, of which 243 records/37 species were from field collections, and 1,249 records/52 species were from moist chamber cultures. Among the specimens obtained by culturing, 896 records/38 species and 353 records/37 species were obtained from living bark and ground litter, respectively. ANOVA showed that the sampling months had significant impacts on collection of myxomycetes from field and those that inhabit litter. An LEfSe analysis indicated that Arcyria was significantly abundant in August, while Stemonitis and Physarum were more abundant in July when collected from field. An RDA analysis showed that temperature was the main factor that affected the litter-inhabiting myxomycetes. The ANOVA indicated that forest type was the significant factor for bark-inhabiting myxomycetes. Diderma effusum was primarily obtained from mixed forests, while Clastoderma debaryanum and Colloderma oculatum were more common in coniferous forests. The RDA analysis indicated that the vegetation, pH, water retention, and elevation were the primary factors that affected the bark-inhabiting myxomycetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Gaowei Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yang Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.,Bioengineering and Technological Research Centre for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Mingzhu Dou
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuzhen Yan
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuanglin Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhao FY, Liu SY, Stephenson SL, Hsiang T, Qi B, Li Z. Morphological and molecular characterization of the new aethaloid species Didymium yulii. Mycologia 2021; 113:926-937. [PMID: 34236946 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2021.1922224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Five specimens, initially presumed to be Fuligo septica or Mucilago crustacea, were collected from Jilin Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, but all five turned out to represent a new aethaloid species, Didymium yulii. This new species is characterized by pseudocapillitia without capillitia and an aethalioid fruiting body, features that are morphologically distinct from those of any other species of Didymium. To assess the phylogenetic relationships between D. yulii and other members of Didymium and in the Didymiaceae, sequences from two nonoverlapping targeted portions of nuc 18S rDNA (~450 bp and ~1050 bp) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) were obtained and analyzed. The results indicate that D. yulii forms a single clade separate from other species of Didymium and the clade that contains M. crustacea, which strongly supports the identification of the five specimens as a new species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Yun Zhao
- Engineering Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.,College of Life Sciences, Baicheng Normal University, Baicheng 137000, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Yan Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.,College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Steven L Stephenson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
| | - Tom Hsiang
- Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Bao Qi
- Engineering Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuang Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang W, Wang W, Wei S, Huang W, Qi B, Wang Q, Li Y. Design of potentially universal SSU primers in myxomycetes using next-generation sequencing. J Microbiol Methods 2021; 184:106203. [PMID: 33722637 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Unlike fungi, which have a universally accepted barcode marker, universal primers still lack in myxomycetes. Typically, DNA barcode primers were designed based on comparing existing myxomycetes sequences and targeting the conserved regions. However, the extreme genetic diversity within major myxomycetes groups and the frequent occurrence of group I introns have made the development of universal DNA barcode a severe challenge. The emergence of next-generation sequencing provides an opportunity to address this problem. We sequenced the mixed genomic DNA of 81 myxomycetes and extracted the SSU gene's reads using next-generation sequencing. After alignment and assembly, we designed a set of SSU primers that matched all potential SNPs, avoided all known group I intron insertion sites, and were highly conserved between major myxomycetes orders. This set of SSU primers has the potential to become one of the universal primer combinations. Due to the high genetic divergence caused by long and complicated evolutionary histories, the lack of universal barcode primers is common in protists. Our research provides a new method to solve this problem.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wan Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Shuwei Wei
- Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Statistics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Bao Qi
- Engineering Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China.
| | - Yu Li
- Engineering Research Center of Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Janik P, Lado C, Ronikier A. Range-wide Phylogeography of a Nivicolous Protist Didymium nivicola Meyl. (Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa): Striking Contrasts Between the Northern and the Southern Hemisphere. Protist 2020; 171:125771. [PMID: 33171353 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2020.125771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Soil protists play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems and often show immense taxonomic diversity. However, for many groups, distribution patterns remain largely unknown. We investigated range-wide intraspecific diversity of a specialized airborne protist (Didymium nivicola Meyl.) that occupies a narrow ecological niche associated with long-lasting snow cover. We sampled 122 collections covering all areas where the species was recorded worldwide. We obtained 105 and 41 sequences of small ribosomal subunit rDNA (SSU) and elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1A), respectively. While the species is very diverse in the austral Andes, Southern Hemisphere (SH; 17 SSU ribotypes and 12 EF1A genotypes identified), its populations are genetically uniform across three continents of the Northern Hemisphere (NH; single ribotype, single genotype). Our results indicate the austral Andes as a possible diversification centre for D. nivicola where populations seem to reproduce sexually. Two main parts of the range display highly contrasting genetic patterns, thus biogeographical history and dynamics. Current distribution of D. nivicola in the NH is likely a result of a dispersal event from the SH and subsequent long-distance dispersal (LDD) that might be associated with a shift to asexual mode of reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Janik
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Carlos Lado
- Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Ronikier
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Kraków, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lara E, Dumack K, García-Martín JM, Kudryavtsev A, Kosakyan A. Amoeboid protist systematics: A report on the "Systematics of amoeboid protists" symposium at the VIIIth ECOP/ISOP meeting in Rome, 2019. Eur J Protistol 2020; 76:125727. [PMID: 32755801 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2020.125727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Amoeboid protists are extremely abundant and diverse in natural systems where they often play outstanding ecological roles. They can be found in almost all major eukaryotic divisions, and genomic approaches are bringing major changes in our perception of their deep evolutionary relationships. At fine taxonomic levels, the generalization of barcoding is revealing a considerable and unsuspected specific diversity that can be appreciated with careful morphometric analyses based on light and electron microscopic observations. We provide examples on the difficulties and advances in amoeboid protists systematics in a selection of groups that were presented at the VIIIth ECOP/ISOP meeting in Rome, 2019. We conclude that, in all studied groups, important taxonomical rearrangements will certainly take place in the next few years, and systematics must be adapted to incorporate these changes. Notably, nomenclature should be flexible enough to integrate many new high level taxa, and a unified policy must be adopted to species description and to the establishment of types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Lara
- Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Kenneth Dumack
- Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Köln, Germany
| | | | - Alexander Kudryavtsev
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Protistology, Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anush Kosakyan
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Borg Dahl M, Brejnrod AD, Unterseher M, Hoppe T, Feng Y, Novozhilov Y, Sørensen SJ, Schnittler M. Genetic barcoding of dark-spored myxomycetes (Amoebozoa)-Identification, evaluation and application of a sequence similarity threshold for species differentiation in NGS studies. Mol Ecol Resour 2017; 18:306-318. [PMID: 29024429 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Unicellular, eukaryotic organisms (protists) play a key role in soil food webs as major predators of microorganisms. However, due to the polyphyletic nature of protists, no single universal barcode can be established for this group, and the structure of many protistean communities remains unresolved. Plasmodial slime moulds (Myxogastria or Myxomycetes) stand out among protists by their formation of fruit bodies, which allow for a morphological species concept. By Sanger sequencing of a large collection of morphospecies, this study presents the largest database to date of dark-spored myxomycetes and evaluate a partial 18S SSU gene marker for species annotation. We identify and discuss the use of an intraspecific sequence similarity threshold of 99.1% for species differentiation (OTU picking) in environmental PCR studies (ePCR) and estimate a hidden diversity of putative species, exceeding those of described morphospecies by 99%. When applying the identified threshold to an ePCR data set (including sequences from both NGS and cloning), we find 64 OTUs of which 21.9% had a direct match (>99.1% similarity) to the database and the remaining had on average 90.2 ± 0.8% similarity to their best match, thus thought to represent undiscovered diversity of dark-spored myxomycetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Borg Dahl
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Asker D Brejnrod
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Thomas Hoppe
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Yun Feng
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Yuri Novozhilov
- V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Søren J Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Schnittler
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Complex behaviors are typically associated with animals, but the capacity to integrate information and function as a coordinated individual is also a ubiquitous but poorly understood feature of organisms such as slime molds and fungi. Plasmodial slime molds grow as networks and use flexible, undifferentiated body plans to forage for food. How an individual communicates across its network remains a puzzle, but Physarum polycephalum has emerged as a novel model used to explore emergent dynamics. Within P. polycephalum, cytoplasm is shuttled in a peristaltic wave driven by cross-sectional contractions of tubes. We first track P. polycephalum's response to a localized nutrient stimulus and observe a front of increased contraction. The front propagates with a velocity comparable to the flow-driven dispersion of particles. We build a mathematical model based on these data and in the aggregate experiments and model identify the mechanism of signal propagation across a body: The nutrient stimulus triggers the release of a signaling molecule. The molecule is advected by fluid flows but simultaneously hijacks flow generation by causing local increases in contraction amplitude as it travels. The molecule is initiating a feedback loop to enable its own movement. This mechanism explains previously puzzling phenomena, including the adaptation of the peristaltic wave to organism size and P. polycephalum's ability to find the shortest route between food sources. A simple feedback seems to give rise to P. polycephalum's complex behaviors, and the same mechanism is likely to function in the thousands of additional species with similar behaviors.
Collapse
|
13
|
Dagamac NHA, Rojas C, Novozhilov YK, Moreno GH, Schlueter R, Schnittler M. Speciation in progress? A phylogeographic study among populations of Hemitrichia serpula (Myxomycetes). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174825. [PMID: 28414791 PMCID: PMC5393559 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds, Amoebozoa) are often perceived as widely distributed, confounding to the “everything is everywhere” hypothesis. To test if gene flow within these spore-dispersed protists is restricted by geographical barriers, we chose the widespread but morphologically unmistakable species Hemitrichia serpula for a phylogeographic study. Partial sequences from nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (SSU) revealed 40 ribotypes among 135 specimens, belonging to three major clades. Each clade is dominated by specimens from a certain region and by one of two morphological varieties which can be differentiated by SEM micrographs. Partial sequences of the protein elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1A) showed each clade to possess a unique combination of SSU and EF1A genotypes. This pattern is best explained assuming the existence of several putative biospecies dominating in a particular geographical region. However, occasional mismatches between molecular data and morphological characters, but as well heterogeneous SSU and heterozygous EF1A sequences, point to ongoing speciation. Environmental niche models suggest that the putative biospecies are rather restricted by geographical barriers than by macroecological conditions. Like other protists, myxomycetes seem to follow the moderate endemicity hypothesis and are in active speciation, which is most likely shaped by limited gene flow and reproductive isolation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikki Heherson A. Dagamac
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 15, Greifswald, Germany
- * E-mail: (NHAD); (MS)
| | - Carlos Rojas
- Engineering Research Institute and Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Yuri K. Novozhilov
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Gabriel H. Moreno
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rabea Schlueter
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Microbiology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Schnittler
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Soldmannstr. 15, Greifswald, Germany
- * E-mail: (NHAD); (MS)
| |
Collapse
|